By Indrajit Singh

Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar-led JD(U) is all set to be rewarded for joining the NDA with two berths in the Narendra Modi ministry during Sunday’s reshuffle.

The JD(U) had formally joined BJP led NDA last month after forming a new government with the BJP in July.

And the beneficiaries, in all likelihood, will be Kumar’s most trusted lieutenant RCP Singh and Ram Nath Thakur, son of late Karpoori Thakur.

Though names of state party chief Basisth Narayan Singh and Santosh Kushwaha were also in circulation but in the country where caste plays a pivotal role, Singh and Thakur rode on their backward and extremely backward caste affiliations, respectively.

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Singh is most likely to get a cabinet post while Thakur might be named Minister of State.

Despite a series of accidents Nitish Kumar is eyeing Railways for Singh after Nitin Gadkari reportedly expressed his reluctance to take additional charge of the department.

Should PM decide to allot Railway portfolio to JD(U), Singh, a 1982-batch IAS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre, would be ninth rail minister from Bihar, a list that already includes Nitish Kumar, Lalu Prasad and Ram Vilas Paswan.

Singh also owe his elevation to Sharad Yadav who would have been an automatic choice for a cabinet rank from JD(U) quota. But Yadav chose to fight dictatorial style of functioning of Nitish Kumar in the company of his erstwhile betenoire Lalu Prasad after the former decided to break away from Grand Alliance comprising RJD, JD(U) and Congress.

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